Ilesa Water Project: Minister Decries Depletion In Water Quantity

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev has decried the significant depletion in the quantity of water from the reservoir of the Ilesa Water Project.

The Minister who highlighted the need for immediate action to improve the quality and quantity of water supplied emphasised the need to review the recommendations from Osun State consultant of the project.

Utsev made the call during his visit to the project site in Ilesa on Wednesday as part of his fact-finding and inspection tour of Federal water supply, dam and irrigation projects in the South-west.

According to the Minister in a statement released by Funmi Imuetinyan, Director of Information and Public Relations, the visit is aimed at assessing the current status of the project and identifying ways in which both the Federal and Osun State governments can enhance water supply to 32 villages in the Ilesa area.

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He emphasised that critical insights into the design of the proposed reservoir and treatment plant including environmentally friendly frameworks, cost-efficiency, and high water quality will be reviewed. 

Stakeholders, including the Osun State Commissioner for Water Resources, water resources engineers, and experts, will be involved in finding the best solutions to the project’s challenges.

he project consultant, Engr. Lanre Abioye, briefed the Minister on the investigation findings. He noted that the initial capacity of water supply had diminished due to illegal activities upstream. 

Abioye recommended desilting the reservoir, constructing a 5 million cubic meter reservoir, and implementing periodic maintenance to improve water distribution and reticulation to the communities.